Melissa Ong

Name:	Melissa Ong
Location:	Singapore Singapore 545063
Contact:	Send Melissa Ong a message

Additional Info:

Melissa started music lessons at the age of 4 on the violin and piano and has attained an ABRSM Grade 8 in the violin. At 13, under the guidance of her mother, Helen Ong, she attained her ATCL Performance diploma in piano and at 14, her LTCL Recital diploma. She is preparing for her FTCL diploma.

Melissa started playing the cello at 10. She was the principal cellist of the People’s Association Youth Chinese Orchestra (PAYCO) from 2003 – 2005, and a member of SNYO from 2005 – present. In July 2008 she participated in the 10th Florence International Music Festival with the SNYO. She also represented the orchestra in a press conference announcing their collaboration with Lanxess in December 2008. In 2010, she was selected to represent the SNYO in the Orchestra of the World to record for the Youth Olympic Games. She is now the principal cellist of the SNYO, and has played in the SNYO Principal Quartet. She was also part of the octet that participated in the festival Manchu Mania at the Asian Civilizations Museum in March this year. Melissa was featured as a soloist with the orchestra on 18 March 2010, playing the first cello part of Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Cellos in G Minor. She will also be going on tour with the orchestra to Aberdeen in July 2011.

Melissa has also served as the principal cellist of The Philharmonic Orchestra (TPO), and headed the Corporate Relations committee of the Orchestra of the Music Makers (OMM). Her participation in TPO gave her the unique opportunity to share the stage with Andrea Bocelli, Andrea Griminelli, Sabina Cvilak and Delta Goodrem at the YTL Concert of Celebration 2010 by PowerSeraya Limited.

Melissa has been invited to perform at the Istana numerous times as part of the PAYCO, SNYO and the SNYO principal quartet. The quartet performed at the President’s Annual Diplomatic Reception hosted at the Istana in May 2009. She has also been invited to attend tea receptions at the Istana as part of the SNYO, SNYO quartet and OMM committee.

Besides her involvement in orchestras, Melissa is also active in chamber music. An alumni member of Nanyang Girls’ High School, Melissa led the school’s string ensemble as the principal cellist to perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 2008, where their performance was received with a full-house standing ovation. She was also the principal cellist of the Hwa Chong String Ensemble for their annual concert “Reminiscence”, as well as the SYF Central Judging 2009 where they were clinched a Gold award, the only one in their category.

In 2009, Melissa attained her DipABRSM diploma (Performing) with distinction. She was admitted into the Young Artist Programme from 2009-2011, pursuing her music degree part-time at the conservatory under a full scholarship provided by the National Arts Council (University of Music-NAC Scholarship). Melissa is currently under the tutelage of Mr. Qin Li-Wei, Head of Cello Studies at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, as well as Mr. Ng Pei-Sian, artist faculty of the conservatory and principal cellist of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO).

On the invitation of the Chief Executive of ABRSM, Mr Richard Morris Melissa was honored to have performed a cello solo at the ABRSM South and East Asia Diploma Awards Ceremony in March 2009.

Furthermore, Melissa has successfully organized and performed two solo recitals in 2006 and 2010, attaining a Young ChangeMaker’s Grant awarded from the National Youth Council for the latter. The 2010 recital was publicized by Symphony 92.4 FM, with all proceeds being donated to Very Special Arts (VSA) Singapore, a charity launched to provide people with disabilities with opportunities to access the arts for rehabilitation and social integration. She was also interviewed on Symphony 92.4 FM in recognition of her talent and generosity.

Melissa completed her GCSE A Levels at Hwa Chong Institution (JC) in 2010. She has also led a Service Learning committee from Hwa Chong Institution (JC) as its chairman to recruit music groups to perform at National Kidney Foundation (NKF) dialysis centers, in order to improve the lives of patients undergoing kidney dialysis through the use of music.

An avid instrumentalist, Melissa also plays the electric guitar and drums. She has also attended workshops in music pedagogy such as music education workshops conducted by Ann Bryant and Music Mind Games by Michiko Yurko.

Starting this fall, Melissa will be studying at the Royal College of Music in London under full scholarship provided by the Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Additional Specialisms:

Orchestral Playing, Solo Performance, Contemporary Music

Melissa Ong

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